An exhibition of over 8000 paper sculptures left b…

In Japan it’s customary not to leave serving staff a tip. However, customers do like to show their appreciation in an altogether more creative way, by leaving paper chopstick sleeves folded into into origami like sculptures.

It’s with this in mind that waiter turned artist Yuki Tatsumi embarked on a recent art project. Collecting thousands of chopstick sleeves folded into unusual shapes from serving staff throughout Japan, he turned them into an art exhibition called Japanese Tip.

What began as a hobby back in 2013 soon turned into something much bigger. When the waiter-turned-artist was inspired to collect more than 13,000 of these ‘tips’ putting a massive 8,000 individual paper sculptures on display in his recent Tokyo art installation.

The origami shapes range from stars and hearts, to animal silhouettes, but his favourite is the shrimp he told Lost At E Minor, “it’s familiar in shape because it’s what we Japanese eat well, and at the same time, it looks complex yet can be made in an instant.”

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